biosecurity

A set of precautions to reduce the risk of accidentally introducing (or otherwise spreading) alien invasive species (AISs), including potential pests and pathogens. The frequency with which alien invasives are being introduced into Britain and elsewhere is increasing in proportion to international trade and other transport. The Forestry Commission’s ‘Contingency plan for serious pest outbreaks in British trees’, written in 2011, lists pest-specific contingency plans for 21 potential alien invasives not yet arrived in Britain.

This definition is abridged from A – Z of tree terms: A companion to British arboriculture.
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